BISP to introduce new system for collecting data of beneficiaries

Islamabad

Leaving behind the flawed Paper Based Personal Interviewing (PAPI) mechanism, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is all set to introduce Computer Based Personal Interviewing (CAPI) for collection of data called National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) in a transparent manner with the help of reputed survey firms that would also be used for health related issues, food, utilities, micro-financing, access to justice, education and employment, the sources said.

“A door-to-door survey using CAPI would be conducted through survey firms to be hired after a competitive bidding process and it would be done in 16 districts under first phase of the project.

The bidding is at an advanced stage and the survey firms would be on board by August 2016,” the sources said.

The official documents revealed that under the first phase the survey would be conducted in sixteen districts including Mirpur, Gilgit, Mohmand Agency, Haripur, Charsadda, Lakki Marwat, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Faisalabad, Layyah, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Thatta, Nasirabad, Qila Saifullah and Kech.

The data showed that the registration centres are being set up with the help of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and the data to be collected through door-to-door survey would enable BISP to establish Value for Money (VFM) approach.

“BISP is planning to conclude the first phase of the survey by end of January 2017 while the national roll out exercise is expected to be completed by March 2018. The most important element of the survey would be percentage of inclusion and exclusion error.

The survey would be shadowed by Operation Review Firm, which would give BISP the exact measure of such errors at the completion of the exercise,” it said.

The data stated that since its inception in 2008, BISP has disbursed Rs. 411 billion as unconditional cash transfer, out of which about Rs250 billion (more than 60 per cent of the total amount) has been disbursed in the tenure of the present government.

The number of BISP beneficiaries has increased from 3.73 million in 2012 to 5 million in 2015 and now the number has reached 5.3 million thus expanding the coverage of unconditional cash transfer to 42 per cent more families across the country.

In order to reduce the leakages, BISP is following the path of automation and 94 percent of beneficiaries are being paid through technology based payment mechanisms.

It is pertinent to mention here that BISP has introduced biometric system for verification of beneficiary’s particulars in case of loss of card. Earlier, the beneficiary had to activate her card by call process for verification/activation of new card. Now the beneficiary only gives her thumb impression in specified UBL locations numbering 75 in the country.

When contacted, BISP Chairperson Marvi Memon said they want to ensure complete transparency in disbursement of cash payments among the beneficiaries that is why a multi-layered mechanism is being introduced for inclusion and exclusion of the beneficiaries.

“The first layer would include survey teams, then the second layer would be of monitoring teams and third layer would comprise complaint centres.

So we will try our best to prepare the accurate data to ensure transparency in the disbursement of the cash payments,” she said.

She said the survey teams would be hired soon that would carry out survey in sixteen districts this year after which the survey would be conducted across the country, adding “We will be able to prepare accurate and updated data of the beneficiaries by March 2018.”

Marvi Memon claimed that if the survey is completed and modern technology is put in place as per plan then Pakistan’s BISP is likely to be placed at ‘Number One’ position in worldwide Social Safety Net Club till 2018.

“Now the data (dynamic not static) of the beneficiaries would be collected through computer tablets and would be uploaded on the BISP main server on real time basis, thus minimizing the chances of error,” she said.

She said selection of beneficiaries is done on the score based mechanism but in the past some political elements used to leak out the questionnaire to the people due to which they came with ‘ready-made’ answers and got them registered under this programme.

To a question, she said the present government is giving high importance to BISP that is why 90 percent of the total amount for the programme is being given by the Finance Ministry and they are getting only 10 percent amount from the international donors.

She said the present government increased cash benefit for the beneficiaries from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 3,600 per quarter in July 2013, which was further increased to Rs. 4,500 in July 2014, adding “The government has yet again increased this amount to Rs. 4,700 per quarter from July 2015.”